Thursday, 4 June 2015

7 Useful Housekeeping Tips For HDB

If you are among the many Singaporeans living in a HDB, proper cleaning is of essence.
Here are 7 Useful Housekeeping Tips for HDB:

1. Plan for your cleaning
- Make a list of all the things that need cleaning
- Assemble and arrange the equipment and detergents you will need for your cleaning
- Some useful things you will need to prepare include: paper towels, sponges, garbage bags, vacuum, cleaning sprays, glass cleaners, duster, and swiffers
- You can purchase them from retailers around your HDB
- A useful cleaning agent you cannot leave out is white vinegar
- It is used to lift tough stains, to clean the refrigerator, and freshen the windows

2. Get rid of waste material
- Anything that you are not using now or may not use in future just clutters your house and you should get rid of it
- You can sell it or donate it to people who actually need it

3. Clean in a specific order
- In every room, use a wet material and broom to remove cob webs and dust that has accumulated
- Collect the grime that has collected in the corners of the windows and clean it outside
- Clean the interior of windows and then clean outside
- Take down and rinse off displays and then replace them
- Remove blinds and clean them according to the manufacturer’s instructions
- Instead of spending a lot of time removing curtains from their rods, vacuuming them is a great idea
- Vacuum and clean window sills
- Don’t wash your windows on a sunny day
- This is because glass cleaner will dry up very quickly in direct sunlight
- This results in streaks on the window panes
- Clean them during late evening hours when temperature is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit
- For quick drying, swap the microfiber for a squeegee, as the latter covers a larger surface area with every swipe
- Remember to dust the light bulbs
- We often forget to clean light bulbs and they end up being extremely dusty
- Dusty bulbs are dimmer thus less energy efficient
- Clean bulbs using a soft cloth when turned off and feel cool to the touch
Start by cleaning the bathroom, then the bedroom, kitchen, and clean the living room last

Wipe items in the bathroom properly
- Clean the shower
- Clean the walls
- Go for cleaning equipment meant specifically for the bathroom
In your bedroom, clean your bed cover, pillows, blanket, mattress, bed sheets, and other bedding
- Your bed cover should be washed at least once a week
- Cleaning your bedroom regularly will improve your sleeping quality to a large extent
In the kitchen, clean all the dishes
- Use the best cleaning supplies to clean them effectively and quickly
- When cleaning dishes, ensure that the utensils do not face in the same direction
- For instance, if all the spoons face the same direction in the dishwasher, they will spoon, preventing a complete clean
- Place some facing up and others facing down for a thorough and even wash
- The same applies to knives
Clean your sink
- This inspires you to keep the dishes clean
- Fill the sink with water to the brim
- Pour a cup of bleach to disinfect
- Scrub the interior of the sink using baking soda to remove stubborn stains
- Rinse and end with a wipe or even a shining spray
Clean the freezer and refrigerator
- Throw out items that have been in the freezer for too long
- Clean the shelves and drawers
- Baking soda helps keep the odors out of your icebox
- If your shelves are removable, wash them in the sink or dishwasher
- Scrub the inside of the refrigerator using wet cloth
- Use moist fabric to wipe everything clean

Clean your clothes
- You can wash them by yourself or take them to a laundry company
- Some companies may have a pickup and delivery system
- If cleaning the clothes yourself, turn pocketed pants and shorts inside out
- This prevents washing of unwanted objects, for instance, tissues, pens, and receipts
- If you are not able to properly pick white paper off dark clothes, using a lint roller will come in handy
- Never wring out sweaters or woolen clothes after washing
- Place them on a flat towel and roll up the towel
- The towel absorbs extra water
- You can now lay them flat to dry
- To make your towels, clothes and linen have a great scent; take dried lavender and putting it into paper teabags
- Iron it when closed
- Place it in a muslin bag
- Toss it into the dryer
Clean the sofa
- If you do not clean the sofas, dirt, dust and microorganisms will accumulate
- Clean them at least once a month
Vacuum floors
- Have a vacuum cleaner to help you vacuum floors

4. Use good cleaning agents and methods
- Good quality agents give great results.
- You can search for the best cleaning agents on the internet
One effective cleaning method is spraying cleaner onto your microfiber cloth, rather than directly onto a surface
- Direct spraying should only be done if the surface is extremely dirty that it needs extra solution
- If the surface is not too dirty, it will leave residue behind
- Spraying onto fiber cloth will also allow your cleaner solution to last longer
Cleaning bare handed dries out your hands
- The skin is very absorbent and will soak up almost any substance that touches its surface
- Gloves with a lined cotton interior are ideal for cleaning
- They offer a protective barrier and are comfortable

Don’t scrub stains on carpets, for instance, red wine, coffee, and pet urine is not effective in the long term, as they will re-surface
- Instead, as soon as there is a spill, use a dry towel to soak as much liquid as possible
- Douse the spot with club soda or ice water
- Blot again using a dry towel
- Step on the towel to absorb the liquid
- If the stain doesn’t go away, use a stain remover

5. Get Creative
There are household items that can make cleaning effective, for instance, toothpaste
- White toothpaste is great for removing spots on floors and walls
- Use a rubber band to keep the spare toothbrush around the toothpaste

6. Clean up regularly
- It is important to regularly clean the house, at least 3 times a week

7. Get professional help
- If you do not have the time to do all the cleaning in your HDB, hire professional services
- Choose a company with a good reputation
- Professional cleaning services may point out something that you missed and show you how to go about it
The above 7 Useful Housekeeping Tips for HDB will make cleaning easier by many standards.